Ince & Co: happy days for men in boats

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Ince & Co: happy days for men in boats

It is, and for the last three years has been, a good time to be a shipping associate with Ince & Co. The firm traditionally prefers to promote from within and this year three associates have made the cut.

In London, Jonathan Goldfarb joins the shipping practice as partner and Carol Searle as an insurance partner specialising in political risk.

In the firm's Hamburg office Markus Eichhorst becomes a partner in the shipping practice, with a focus on public international law.

The latest round of promotions will reiterate the firm's commitment to its shipping practice following James Wilson's election to senior partner in March, replacing Peter Rogan who held the post for eight years.

Wilson, formerly head of the firm's marine practice, will want to come out from under Rogan's shadow to put his own stamp on the firm. Rogan led the firm through significant international expansion and it would be right to assume that Wilson will build on this legacy with more hires.

For the time being, however, the slowing economy has piled pressure on the firm's insurance and reinsurance clients and Ince & Co will have to remain steady to ride out the global economic volatility.

The new caution is reflected in the three partnership promotions- down from four for the last two years.

Shipping and insurance are the firm's strongholds, although last year it brought in partner Peter Measures from niche shipping and energy firm Curtis Davis Garrard to help strengthen its finance and corporate practices. In June Trevor Garrood joined the banking and finance practice from Simmons & Simmons, followed in July by Thomas Cooper partner Tim Scorer joining the aviation practice.

Dean Norton also joined the firm as partner from Clifford Chance where he was an associate.

In its international offices, the firm appointed Bill Amos to the Hong Kong office from Johnson Stokes & Master and Jerome Cohen joined the Paris office from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.

It is a strong raft of hires given that the firm made no lateral appointments in the previous year and three in 2005-06.

With London continuing to dominate the global marine markets, the firm is most likely to promote in the Capital.

However, Eichhorst's promotion in Hamburg suggests an upturn in the international practice, and could be one way for Wilson to mark out his territory.

Partnership prospects:
Shipping and insurance - very sunny
Anything else - outlook poor

Previous Partnership 2008 blogs.

Slaughter and May: ladies, long hours and longevity - Thursday, April 10th
Russell Jones & Walker: More to the core - Tuesday, April 8th
A&O in the Middle East: one new partner, back-up on the way - Monday, April 7th
Clifford Chance: Popham puts his money where his mouth is - Monday, April 7th
Nabarro, Hunton & Hosseini - Friday, April 4th
Addleshaws: managing associates - Friday, April 4th
Nabarro promotions down (under) - Thursday, April 3rd
Hunton & Williams: The London eye - Thursday, April 3rd
The corporate partnership: Superwomen only? - Wednesday, April 2nd
Ashurst promotions: expectation management - Wednesday, April 2nd
Pinsents' Leeds' ladies take the lead - Monday, March 31st
Herbies...continued... - Thursday, March 27th
Herbies shakes things up - Thursday, March 27th
Macfarlanes predicts a good year - Thursday, March 26th
Burges Salmon talks the talk - Wednesday, March 26th
Trowers promotions dwindle - Tuesday, March 25th
Wragges' ups the firm's real estate profile - Thursday, March 20th
Olswang's year of change - Thursday, March 20th
Camerons goes East - Wednesday, March 19th
Ince & Co: happy days for men in boats - Tuesday, March 18th
Freshfields refills partnership - Monday, March 17th